Boehner Basks In Brief Glory As Doomed Budget Passes House

Speaker of the House John Boehner is cheered as Republican members of the House of Representatives rally after passing a bill that would prevent a government shutdown, while crippling the health care law that was the signature accomplishment of President Barack Obama's first term, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 20, 2013.

To a newcomer, the hearty ovation might have suggested that John Boehner was the Republican Party’s conquering hero.

When Boehner strolled Friday into the ornate Rayburn Room on the second floor of the Capitol, he found a triumphant tableau: his entire conference, hooting and cheering under the crystal chandeliers, packed against walnut walls the color of the speaker’s skin. Boehner took his place at the center under a painting of George Washington, as GOP whip Kevin McCarthy heralded the day’s “bipartisan” achievement.

The term was technically accurate, though it stretched the meaning of the word to breaking point. The House on Friday passed a temporary spending measure that funds the government until Dec. 15, while defunding Barack Obama’s health-care law. It passed by a margin of 230-189. Two conservative Democrats, Utah’s Jim Matheson and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, joined in backing the resolution; one Republican, Scott Rigell of Virginia, bucked the GOP line.

The measure now heads to the Senate, a prospect that seemed to delight House Republicans. Part of that seems sheer spite: after months of hectoring from Senator Ted Cruz, many House Republicans are plenty ready for the Texas conservative to step into the ring. But they also perceive other political benefits. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who stood behind a podium emblazoned with the hashtag #SenateMustAct, called out three Senate Democrats up for re-election in red states: Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Kay Hagan of North Carolina—in a sign that the House believes it will a be a tough vote.

Despite all the hoopla, the result will disappoint any Republicans who harbor delusions of winning it. The Democratic-controlled Senate is certain to strip out the Obamacare provision House Tea Partyers worked so hard to embed in the measure. Next Wednesday, when the House returns to Washington, they will face sharp political pressure with with precious few days to negotiate a compromise. If the two branches of Congress cannot agree, many of the non-essential parts of the federal government will shutdown on Oct. 1.

For those hoping for a final showdown over a controversial law, the drama may prove anticlimactic. The endgame is shaping up less like a bare-knuckle brawl than a game of hot potato, with both chambers bidding to corner the other into making a final move. It is not yet clear when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will send back a stopgap funding measure shorn of the defund provision. But House Republicans say that won’t be the final volley in the bicameral negotiations. “We reserve the right to send anything back,” said Oklahoma Representative James Lankford, a member of the GOP leadership team. Even shutting down the government woud not block the implementation of Obama’s signature piece of legislation.

Republicans could decide not to launch their final charge on the budget fight and instead dig in on the debt limit, which must be hiked by mid-October. Next week the House may also vote on a debt-limit package that could include instructions for tax and entitlement reform as the construction of the stalled Keystone XL pipeline. “There are a lot of options that are possible, a lot of combinations there,” said House Republican Tom Cole. “We’re really entering an extended 75-day negotiation.”

For all the uncertainty hovering over the Capitol, one thing was clear Friday: a dysfunctional Congress has once again lurched into a crisis of its own making. And whatever your political views, nobody summed up the state of affairs better than the House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi. “This place,” she said, “is a mess.”

Face saving option as per Boehner and Ryan? Nope. The GOP slammed that exit shut.

Filibuster the stripping out of the health care cutoff? Sorry, but there's not enough republicans to do it and even if they could, the GOP would be showcasing their preference for taking away our healthcare and would take it on the chin popularity-wise. Blaming Obama would be far to obvious a lie to make it stick. No filibuster, the bill goes to the house where all of a sudden the hot potato is in GOP hands, and, true to form, they take it on the chin, anyway.

Hopes for a compromise involving another delay? Not unless the can find 18 Dems willing to become baggers. Let's be real: not gonna happen even if this were FOXworld

What's left?

Have an attack of sanity, join forces with Dems to pass a clean bill, and sacrifice the baggers on the altar of doom, or, run straight into a brick wall doing 120 mph.

Sucks to be a bagger, 'cause they'll have it all to do again in three weeks, and all the choices will be much, MUCH worse!

Again (or should I say for the 41st time), the clueless Republicans will fail to defund/repeal Obamacare. These suicidal clowns are unwilling to face the fact that voting Americans like myself want and need Obamacare to be implemented. Being a sixty year old early retiree, I am looking forward to sign up for more affordable healthcare without being potentially rejected due to pre-existing conditions. The only good news is American will finally see these idiots for what they are and vote the House to Democratic control in the next election.

Looks like an all white kkk meeting without the hoods, only the kkk seemed to have a sense of direction or mis-direction. These clowns have no sense and no direction. If useless needs redefined you are looking at the pictorial definition in this picture.

The day before this vote the Republicans voted to cut food stamps. Mr. Boehner who has been leading these pathetic votes took almost 12,000 dollars in tax payer dollars for his meal allowance last year. And then cut food for hungry Americans. The Republican Party is a hate group. There is no other explanation for their irresponsible and despicable behavior.

I have noticed a shift over the last two weeks among my Catholic friends. The actions by the House, particularly the Republican side of the aisle with respect to a government shutdown, the ACA, and other votes on social issues (like fund stamps) have forced a rift between my conservative Catholic friends and other conservatives with whom some Catholics had aligned themselves--until now. Many Catholics are uncomfortable with the extreme social Darwinism of the Republicans and are listening to the message of Pope Francis. That rift between Catholics and Republicans is growing wider.

Makes me think of the quarterback who throws a great pass for a TD early in the first quarter. Then he proceeds to throw interceptions, fumbles the ball and generally makes a mess. But he sure can enjoy watching the re-run of the 1st quarter. Boehner will have this one play. But the rest of the game?

I want to be there when the realization finally hits Boehner that the fact his House failed to pass any significant (or, really, any insignificant) legislation will be his only mention in the history books. But, oh well! It made him rich enough to pretend that he doesn't possess a conscience or any of the necessary traits of a human being.

What a colossal waste of time, the American people deserve better. John Boehner needs to stand up to the Tea Party Republicans, take control of the House of Representatives even if it means that he will loose his position as Speaker of the House. For the most part Obamacare is here to stay, now move on and get to work on all of the other issues that our country is facing.

I'm sure they cheered General Pickett when he ordered the charge against the Northern Army, too. Unfortunately for Boehner, his continued caving to the right wing has revealed the Republicans for what they are: know-nothing, do-nothing Obama haters. The GOP kicked out all their "RINOS" and gave the car keys to the kids. And they've been driving it through one hit-and-run accident after another ever since. They ignore the polls - even the ones with Republicans - that clearly give them a thumbs down for their antics and lack of progress on anything other than talking to themselves. Conservatives whine that Obama won't "negotiate" with Boehner, preferring instead to talk to Putin or the President of Iran. But who can blame him? When you talk with Putin or the President of Iran, you're more likely to actually get something done.

It is no surprise to anyone that this man is the absolute most dysfunctional and incompetent person is Congress. And man, there are some really goofy and just plain stupid members in the Republican party. He couldn't get a job mucking a stall down at the local riding academy. He flops around on issues like an old sock on the clothes line. Nice job Ohio.

boener has to feel that he has done anything to substantiate the pay he gets for mostly doing nothing. I can understand how this bit of glory might allow that creepy grin on his face but he knows that he was overburdened by the repub lack of honest politics that has him in the position he's in and its not just the recent politicking but years of it that finally led to "a change we can believe in"...

The change was real too as evidenced by the number of Dem Presidents that have served two terms in the Presidential history of the US. I wouldn't be surprised if history proves that there was a significant level of gerrymandering as far back as George Washington. The repubs have allowed themselves to be "quick-sanded" into a corner and in just a matter of little time they'll be nothing solid to stand on.

Ok, lets stop pretending to be journalists, shall we? To quote McCarthy's use of the word "bipartisan," uncritically is the kind of nonsense we have learned to expect from modern stenographers. But you went beyond the pale with the following:

"The term was technically accurate, though it stretched the meaning of the word to breaking point."

No, Alex, it wasn't accurate in any credible sense. To say otherwise and in conclusory form cloaks a ludicrous remark with your imprimatur of reasonableness. It didn't stretch anything to a breaking point -- it misrepresented the nature of the bill. And you helped. Shame on you.

One has to be virtually quibbling to characterize this bill as bipartisan. It was non-negotiated, non-negotiable, directed to destroy an opposition party's primary accomplishment, and was passed without any hope of becoming law. This bill was solely passed for partisan reasons having nothing to do with the merits. It was a Republican stunt, period.

It is one thing to quote a rapid-wolf extremist remark uncritically. It is another to credit it when there is no basis for doing so. Shame.

Republicans must be retarded or have very low IQs like Sarah Pallin. Why keep up with this foolish venture. They can't and are not gonna win. ACA - Obamacare is coming October 1st one way of the other. I can't wait to smirk and laugh and hoot at T Party Republicans Tuesday October 1st when the Excchanges kick in. We Won!

What´s outrageous is the GOP obstructionist double standard ... they put all the onus for conciliation on Obama, while they throw childish and hot-headed temper tantrums and yet expect not to be held to account for it. The self-styled three musketeers of the GOP - Boehner/McConnell/Cantor - have leveled a torrent of insults, disrespect, and paralyzing antipathy that eclipses what any president in living memory has had to put up with. Indeed, no president since the 19th century has been met with a less cooperative, less civilized, less mature opposition.

The 112th and 113th congress’s, that have endured unceasing obstruction led by Boehner in the House and McConnell in the Senate, are the most shameful, lowest rated and least effective in US history.

This fraud basks in booze. He could be better, but chooses to be otherwise w.o.r.t.h.l.e.s.s.

He's going to hit hard. And, at that point, it will be up to me to feel compassion - or not. I'm just going to say it now, I'll go with 'or not'. F this ridiculous drunk. Shame on the shameless. And shame on me, for how I feel for another individual, but, I've been pushed to this proverbial edge. F him and his in DC.

The GOP are truly clueless. They always lie and claim they are listening to the American people, but that is not true since only a tiny minority of GOP extremists want to shutdown government and when Pres. Obama's name is not on the ACA and citizens are asked about the specific benefits of the healthcare law like coverage of pre-existing conditions, preventive healthcare, etc., Americans overwhelmingly support it. The GOP are afraid that once implemented fully that Americans will embrace the ACA as they have other safety net benefits by Democrats like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and that the ACA will continue to cut into the excessive profits and abuses of their wealthy healthcare benefactors.

It's all unnecessary political posturing with another agenda in mind. No where are these representatives thinking about what's best for We the People or this nation. Take a look what Bowles/Simpson have to say on this;

More than two years ago, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Fiscal Commission) – a bipartisan group of lawmakers, civic leaders, and fiscal experts – released its final recommendations on how to chart a path forward to meaningful and bipartisan debt reduction. After having the privilege to serve as co-chairs of that commission, both of us – a former Republican Senator from Wyoming and a former chief of staff to Democratic President Bill Clinton – have travelled the country speaking to hundreds of thousands of Americans about our debt challenge. We’ve met American men and women of all different ages, incomes, backgrounds, and ideologies – and with many different ideas of how to fix our economy. Yet all shared two things in common – a thirst for the truth and a willingness to be part of the solution if everyone is in it together.

Unfortunately, back in Washington, the last two years have been defined by fiscal brinksmanship. Instead of enacting a comprehensive deficit reduction plan, similar to the size and scope of what we or other bipartisan groups and experts recommended, policymakers have gone crisis to crisis waiting until the last moment to do the bare minimum to avoid catastrophe. The focus on elections over solutions and contrast over compromise has left our country with tremendous fiscal uncertainty and no plan to put our debt on a sustainable downward path.

The failure to get our debt under control, reform our tax code, and put our entitlement programs on a fiscally sustainable course is robbing us of the ability to invest in our future and will leave us without the resources we need to meet other challenges facing our nation. And moving forward will be out of our reach as long as we continue to “pass the buck” on the debt crisis. It is critical that leaders in both parties come together to put our fiscal house in order if they have any hope of addressing the other challenges and opportunities that we face as a nation.

To be sure, progress has been made. Out of the debt ceiling agreement in August of 2011 and the fiscal cliff agreement from the beginning of this year, policymakers have enacted as much as $2.7 trillion in deficit reduction, by some measures. Yet for all the unnecessary brinksmanship to achieve these savings, what we have achieved is woefully insufficient. Reducing discretionary caps to require cuts from future appropriators and raising taxes on the top 1 percent of Americans are the easiest parts of deficit reduction, and the parts least likely to lead to long-term fiscal sustainability.

Despite multiple efforts from Speaker Boehner and President Obama to reach a “grand bargain,” the country has still done nothing to make our entitlement programs sustainable for future generations, make our tax code more competitive and pro-growth, or put our debt on a downward path. Instead, we have allowed a “sequestration” to mindlessly cut spending across-the-board in all areas except those contributing to spending growth.

We believe there is a better way, and we believe it is politically possible to get there. Last December, the negotiating parties were as close as they’ve ever been on a plan to put our fiscal house in order. Although they were not able to reach agreement at that time, we continue to believe that agreement is possible.

The plan we have put forward here is not our ideal plan, it is not the perfect plan, and it is certainly not the only plan. It is an effort to show both sides that a deal is possible; a deal where neither side compromises their principles but instead relies on principled compromise. Such a deal would invigorate our economy and demonstrate to the public that Washington can solve problems, and leave a better future for our grandchildren.

"... a dysfunctional Congress has once again lurched into a crisis of its own making..." Sorry, but this is what a Republic is suppose to do, we have a large divide as to the DIRECTION that this government should take and how to SPEND TAX payers money, note the term tax payers not free loaders...

What I don't get is how morons seem to think that thi sis all Republicans fault. Are they threatening a government shutdown? Yes. Does the government need to be shut down? Of course it does, needless laws, excessive executive orders designed to steal more freedoms from everyone in America, both parties having extremely long vacations and recesses while Americans are out of work and starve. If the government were a corporation, the consumers would have shut it down long ago. Free people need to stand up to the tyranny of this disgusting government. I am an American and I do not want Obamacare. It's that simple, we can't afford it as a nation. I pay for my own healthcare, I will not pay for anyone elses. Plain and simple. If anyone argues with that, then you are obviously not intelligent enough for me to care about your opinion anyway.

@ggoldffinger "Your are fired". That's exactly what Republicans did - they fired everyone who wasn't on their right-wing extremists program. That's all we got Mike Lee in the Senate, and Cruz and Rand Paul.

Didn't exactly work out too well, did it? Maybe instead of firing everyone you should vote for the best candidate. Doh.

@krush They simply decided that repealing the ACA was the best way to create jobs. You should read the two-bit propaganda my GOP Rep sends in his newsletter every week.- you would think the ACA itself is responsible for the collapse of 2008. The fact that ALL evidence speaks to their assertion being total crap, doesn't seem to slow them down for one minute.

@ThomasHall Grover Norquist,"Shrink the government and drown it in a bath tub." Get out the pledge and see every GOP'er that signed it. Now's their chance. Just defund and/or default and they get what they pledged to do.

@BruceStrong You are as clueless about the purpose and process of government as these corrupt GOP Reps. How can anybody be so ignorant, as to think that stopping the functioning of our government, which the GOP does in a thousand big and little ways, benefits the taxpayer? ALL EVIDENCE IS TO THE CONTRARY. Stop spouting GOP propaganda and get a clue. YOU are not their constituency. You just pay for their salaries, that's all. And excellent, government run healthcare policies.

@DavetheButcher "If the government were a corporation, the consumers would have shut it down long ago."

If the government were a corporation, it wouldn't be a government.

Like the not getting the difference between the debt and the deficit, and making the absurd comparison of household budgets to governmental budgets, wingnuts keep proving that not understanding high school economics concepts makes for embarrassing posts.

@DavetheButcher Dave, you already pay for other people's health care in your insurance premium. The people who don't have insurance and go to the emergency room cost the hospitals big $$. They aren't "taking it in the shorts". THey pass it on to the consumer. ACA actually helps w/ that (in my opinion).

Also, while the gov't does need a lot of re-working, shutting it down is NOT the way to go. We still need the gov't, and it ISN'T a corporation, and there ISN'T another one on the other side of the street that we can choose instead. It needs to keep working, and be improved.

@DavetheButcher chances are you do not pay for all your health care - you should check and see how much your employers pay for their portion. You are lucky you have a job that offers you insurance. Millions of people work 2-3 part time jobs to put food on the table and do not have a health care option from any of their jobs.

Let me just say that with your feelings, you are not an American I am proud of. As a nation, we have always helped those less fortunate. What a cold hard person you are.

When you go through every day and see hundreds of people that are taking advantage of the government resources just because they are too lazy to get off the couch and make something of themselves, then you can talk to me about compassion. I see them every day, massive amounts of food stamps, welfare checks, unemployment checks and yet everyone has the newest iphone. Everyone has the biggest rims and yet no jobs. You speak of compassion for those in need, and I agree with that. Those in need should be helped. Big difference between those in need and those in want. Our nation has become a nation of weak people. Weak of mind and weak of heart. I will gladly help those in need. But I see too many people EVERY SINGLE DAY who are just too pathetic and lazy to do what is necessary for themselves and instead ask for handouts. That sickens me. Grow up and have the strength to work for what you want.

As a matter of fact, yes, I do. I pay roughly 3000 dollars a year on insurance, and so far, I have rang up a grand total of 2000 worth of medical care total in the last five years. So paid in, 15000, racked up 2000... Hmmm. I would say that I have paid and am paying my fair share of my own medical.

@DavetheButcher@dawnkucera Your colorful anecdotes, that seem to drive conservative arguments, cannot stand up to the facts. You are ignorant, with no understanding of how a society works, how much unemployment costs you, how much starvation, the un-insured, the under-served, cost us all in the long run.

The people on food stamops also include people who work for the world's largest, cheapest in spirit, retailer and all the retail clones who pay minimum wage. The people on food stamps include low ranking active duty military with families because the country is too cheap to pay its military a livable wage. When the major business group in the country actuively worked to move well-paying jobs overseas to be replaced by part-time minimum wage jobs so asses like you can buy cheap stuff, you are part of the problem alomng with teh CEOs who niow earn millins a year, frequesntly for not doingtheir job and if they leave, they get gold parachuted out with $20-50 million for screwing up a company. You can be so superuior in your attitude but you are part of the problem. If you don't like it here, catch a flight to the Tea Party land of plenty-Somalia!

@DavetheButcher@dawnkucera Yeah ... and someday I'll grow up and be a big corporation, pay zero taxes and receive corporate welfare like all my other corporate welfare brothers. Corporate America is doing great, Wall Street is doing great... I mean we sucked off trillions of dollars from the economy all at taxpayers expense. We get all the workers off-loaded onto ObamaCare... even more profits. Meanwhile, we have everyone focused on those lousy welfare moochers so no one see's what we're up to. Sure hope they don't ask us to pee in a cup... I mean, we do rake in a lot of taxpayers money. Afterall "Corporations are People too".

We've had those people around for a long, long time. Many, many generations and they'll be here for generations beyond. Reminds me of an old saying: "If there doesn't seem to be a good solution, maybe we're not asking a good question."

Then there are those who shouldn't have jobs they have ( those in the picture above and many of their opponents) that we could pay to stay home and the nation would come out FAR ahead in the bargain.

@DavetheButcher@NoBK4USA FAIL. You do not exit in a vacuum. Your insurance rates are higher, because others are uninsured. Your hospital expenses are higher. Your meds cost more, due to conservative corruption and lack of competition. Are you paying your fair share? More than that. So why not support programs that reduce how much the un-insured are costing us all?

Nah, I figure that someday I will have to have my leg cut off from gangrene or have a bullet removed from my spleen or something and that will make up the difference. Kinda like a savings account. I have that money there when I need it, so I don't feel bad when one year my costs are a lot higher,

The land the Tea Party wants does exist. It is called Somalia. No government, no laws, no regulations. BYOAK47. No roads, no cars, no libraries, everyman for huim or her self. Like I said, It is Tea Partyland!

@DavetheButcher@NoBK4USA Well as a lifelong Independent and vet where you are taught that we are our ( Americans ) brothers keeper, with logic and vitriol like yours , I'm hoping you are not claiming to be one. Of course after reading your posts on this thread, they are very telling, you may deny being a Republican in the flesh, but you are no doubt one in spirit. The only one you're fooling is yourself. Having voted one time for the other party doesn't qualify you as an Independent either.

@DavetheButcher@NoBK4USA Both parties are not useless to America and I wish people that thought this would move to another country. You obviously don't know the monetary risk of the government shutting down.

BTW, you couldn't move to a progressive country because they all offer their citizens health care. I'm sure there are countries in Africa or elsewhere that would welcome your it's-my-money-and-one-can-touch-it. Do you research and move.